Embry Call's Imprinting Character Info
by AtomicWerewolfLover
Summary: Embry Call believes that he's never going to imprint. That is until a relative of Emily's suddenly decides to stay in LaPush... The events that take place in this story have nothing to do with my life.
1. Character Info

**Name: Lilija Cadence (pronounced Lilya)**

**Age: Just turned 16, going into sophomore year in HS.**

**Looks: Dark brown (almost black) waist length hair with side-swept bengs, ivory skintone, tans sort of easily, not super skinny, not overweight either, but average weight, and hazel eyes that darken when saddened or angered.**

**Interests: Writing, reading, being outdoors, walking in the rain, trying to avoid her father.**

**Style: Kind of a different, darker style. Into a lot of metal and rock music. She's not emo, though. She's been through a lot, but can often still see the bright side of things.  
**

**Lives: In a town called Hoquiam in Washington. (Few hours drive from LaPush.)**

**Name: Jason Cadence (Lilija's father)  
**

**Age: 44**

**Looks: Dark brown and gray hair, deep tanned skin, a lot of wrinkles, heavily built.**

Lilija's mother, Crystal, died in a car accident when Lilija was 10 years old. Lilija and her father escaped from the wreck with few injuries, while Crystal was stuck and died almost instantly of a severe concussion and a broken spine. Since the accident, Jason has become a severe alcoholic and began blaming Lilija for her mother's death. He then started abusing Lilija, verbally at first, but it escaladed to hits, punches, kicks, and the use of other objects as well. Lilija is too afraid of what will happen if she reports the abuse, so she continues like nothing happened, hiding the scars under long shirts and pants, hoping it will all just blow over.

She is very wrong, however...

Thanks for reading! Message and rate, please??

I know its depressing, but it will get better. Maybe not soon, but you'll just have to continue reading!

(Note: I don't own any of Stephanie Meyer's characters, only the ones I have created, Lilija and Jason, and any others I make up as the story continues.)


	2. Chapter 1: Final Scars

I sighed as I plopped down on the couch after a long day at school. I'm happy that the last day of school was over with, don't get me wrong, but at the same time, school was kind of a sanctuary for me to escape the hell that I call home. I closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to envelope me, it had been a long day and a long walk home. I had to walk to and from school now, my father doesn't think I'm worth the effort. So I have to get up extra early every day in order to reach my school that's 2 miles away. Just as soon as I entered my sleep, I was rudely awakened.

SLAM...Great, dads home. From his job at the nearby car repair shop. I suppose I should put some supper on the table before he really explodes. "Lilija! I'm hungry! Get your lazy ass up and put some food on the table for me NOW!" I made my way into our cramped kitchen and prepared some beef for a few hamburgers. I could tell he was getting impatient, I could feel his eyes boring into the back of my head. I didn't even want to know what kind of look he was giving me. I finished making his food and set it on the table in front of him, careful to avoid eye contact. "Ahem" He cleared his throat. I dared a look. "What the hell is this?" I looked at a paper in his hand..not just any paper, my report card. 'Oh crap, not this, not now!' "What, so you think you can just slack off? You can't even try at school? Your just a lazy bitch! Good for nothing!" I flinched at his words. "I missed a lot of school this semester, dad!!" I replied, trying to clear my name a bit. It was true, I missed a lot of school because of some injuries I recieved at home. "What was that young lady? I thought I taught you already to NEVER talk back to me! I guess I'll have to repeat myself!" I recoiled, preparing for the blow, which didn't come. Ring ring 'I love you, phone'

"Cadence residence" Dad answered, looking rather annoyed. I quickly cleaned up, hoping to escape to my room before the phone call ended. No such luck. "I'm leaving. Got some work to do. This house better be clean when I come home and you better just learn to shut your little mouth because I'm not always going to be interrupted by the phone." I knew he didn't have any work to do, that was his signature excuse for going to the bar. I waited until I could hear his car pull out of the driveway, and then started to clean. If not everything is perfect when he gets home at God only knows what time, he'll blow again. He's even more dangerous with alcohol in his system. I quickly cleaned the house, vacuumed, dusted, and picked up anything lying around. A few hours had passed, and it was nearly midnight. I crashed on the couch, not enough energy to climb the few stairs up to my room. Soon I was asleep, but I was once again brought back to the memories of the fateful night that Mom died.

_"Mommy, when are we going to be home?" I asked, as I stared out the window into the dark forest. It was hard to see with so much snow blowing everywhere. "Lily, stop asking me that! I told you it will be a few more hours yet." "Honey, just go to sleep, we'll be there in no time." Daddy soothed me. I still couldn't sleep. The sound of the wind on the car was too loud and I just felt uneasy about something. I stared out the windshield from the backseat and watched as the trees flew by like a blurry green and white paint splatter. I watched as car after car passed us going the opposite direction, counting the headlights to distract myself. I sat up in my seat, noticing that one pair was too close to our side of the road than the others had been, and it was approaching quickly. "Mommy! Look out!" I shouted, but it was too late, the semi was closing in on us, and it slid on a patch of black ice, jackknifing toward our car at a deadly pace. All I could remember then was being upside down, being pulled from the car by unfamiliar arms._

I woke up to the familiar sound of Dad's boots on the porch. I could hear his slurred profanities as he stumbled through the doorframe, half empty beer bottle in hand. I quickly jumped off the couch and tried to make it to the stairs before he saw me. That didn't work. "Why are you up so late?" His slurred speech was kind of hard to understand. "Oh, I uhh, fell asleep on the cou" "SHUT UP! All I do all day is work so I can support worthless you and myself! I don't even know why I take care of you! You killed my wife!" That hurt, bad. I felt the tears welling up, but I didn't want to let them spill. It would only make Dad say worse things. Of course, I couldn't hold them in any more. That was a low blow. But I really was starting to believe that it was my fault. I started to back up when I realized Dad was advancing on me, beer bottle raised slightly. As I backed into the wall, he grabbed my right arm tightly and held me to the wall as he kneed me in the stomach. He kneeled on the floor and grabbed a fistfull of my hair as he whispered "That's right, cower like the baby you are. Maybe if you hadn't kept distracting Mommy that night, she wouldn't have crossed the lane and hit the semi. Your worthless" He sneered as he broke the bottle over my head. I winced as I felt the cold alcohol seep into the new cuts made by the broken glass. I felt the tears spill out faster, and felt my breath shallowing. I couldn't stand this any longer. "Why can't you just leave me the hell alone!?" I shouted, slowly standing so as to not get dizzy. "What was th" "All you ever do is insult me and beat me up! I'm OUT of here! I can't take this anymore! You can take care of yourself!" I tried to escape, only to fall on the stairs and get kicked in the ribs until it hurt to breath. "You're not worth shit. You're not going anywhere, either. I doubt you can even move. Good." He stated and made his way upstairs.

I laid there in unbearable pain for what seemed like hours. Eventually, I stood up, figuring that Dad would only get angrier to see blood stains on the floor in the morning. I made my way upstairs and cleaned up, putting some fresh clothes on. Not pajamas. I wasn't staying here any longer. I packed all of my favorite belongings in two duffel bags, grabbed my cell phone off my desk, and climbed out my window. It was actually already 5:45am, so the sun would be up pretty soon. I walked through the rain, glad that I remembered my jacket. I made my way through town, trying to figure out where to hide myself. I settled on the lobby of a nearby hotel, and plopped down on the floor for a second, collecting myself. It was then that I remembered my cousin Emily, my only fairly close relative left. Maybe she'll know what I can do. I dug out my cell phone and punched in the number that I hadn't dialed in a long time.

Ring ring ring ring ring ring ring.."Hello?" "Hey Emily?" "Yeah?" "Its Lilija" "Lilija! Honey! I've missed you! But why are you calling so early?" Oh, crap, I forgot it was only six in the morning! "Sorry Emily, I just need to talk to you really bad." She could definately sense the fear in my voice. "What's the matter Lily?" "I don't know what to do..ever since Mom died, Dad's been, different." "What do you mean, different?" "He hits me. He does more than that. And he gets really bad when he's drunk." Silence...then: "OH! Lily! Why didn't you ever tell me this? Are you ok? Sweety, you need to tell the police..." "I can't!" I interrupted her. "What if they don't believe me? I don't want to go to a foster home either..and right now I'm in the lobby of a hotel trying to figure out what to do." I heard a deep male voice on the other end saying what sounded like "What's going on?" I heard Emily and this man talking in hushed tones on the other end. "Lily, I think you should come stay with me and my fiance for a while. We can protect you from him and you'll be safe." "I don't want to be trouble for you or get in the way.." "Lily, I can't have you getting hurt anymore, and I can't have you wondering the streets, either." "Ok I'll stay for a while. Your the best, Em!" "Where are you right now?" "I'm at the Super 8 Hotel you stayed in last time you visited, in the lobby" "Ok, hon, stay where your at, Sam and I are coming right now to get you."


	3. Chapter 2: Blue Rooms and Bonfires

I sighed and silently thanked God for Emily. I forgot how much I missed her and I haven't seen her in ages. I slowly drifted back into sleep until I felt my shoulders shaking. "Lily! Lily were here now!" I looked up into the faces of Emily, who had a strange scar on half of her face, and a man I guessed to be her fiance. The first thing I noticed about him was his extreme height. Definately over six feet, and very well built. Emily helped me to my feet and hugged me tightly. "Lily, this is my fiance, Sam Uley. Sam, this is my cousin Lilija" I shook his hand, and noticed his was really warm. I shrugged it off..I was probably hallucinating. He took my bags for me, and I started to protest, but he was already out the door.

The ride to LaPush was pretty uneventful, considering I fell asleep as soon as my butt hit the back seat of their car. It was probably around eleven o'clock now, and I was being slowly dragged from my sleep. "Lily, were at the house now, you can sleep more when you get settled in hun."

I stood up groggily and looked around. I saw a cute little house, painted a light yellow color, which definately suited my cousin. It was surrounded by an overwhelming forest, and everything had an eerie green color to it. It really was beautiful, though. I think I'll like it here! Anything is better than what I used to have.

Emily led me into the house, where I then hung my jacket in the closet and followed her to the right through a kitchen. The appliances and cupboards were older, but they had a certain charm to them. They really fit in with the atmosphere of this place. The walls were painted a nice light tan color, and the way the whole place was decorated made me feel at home. I followed Emily and Sam up a short flight of stairs and through a door at the end of the hallway. "You can stay in here, Lily. Its our guest room, but your the only long-term guest we've had in a while, so here you go!" I smiled warmly. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad. I could just start over, pretend my past had never happened.

Emily and Sam left me to settle in and unpack. I looked around the room. It was a cute sky blue color, which I loved, because I'd always wanted a room this color. I unpacked my two bags and hung all my clothes in the closet. I took the few books and other things I'd packed and put them either on the desk beside the bed or on the shelf on the wall by the door. Plopping down on the full size mattress, I closed my eyes and breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe the pain would all be over now. I spent the next hour or so just thinking, about if I would make any friends or not and how I would adjust to LaPush. Back home, I was a pretty shy person, especially since my father never let me get out to do anything. Most of the kids at school didn't even know I existed. There were a few people whom I would occasionally talk to, but nobody that I really missed. I suppose that's a good thing, though.

I was interrupted from my thoughts by a knock on the door. "Come in" I said while sitting up quickly. Sam walked through the door, seeming sort of awkward. Maybe he's not much of a people person, either. "Dinners ready if your hungry, Lily. Oh, and there are a few guys here, they usually eat with us every day. I think you'll get along with them." "Okay..I'll come down in a sec." I smiled politely, but inside I was feeling sick again. I was never a good social person, but around guys my age, I was especially bad.

I walked downstairs after a few minutes of internal arguments, which occur a lot, and slowly made my way into the kitchen, trying not to be noticed too much. I looked up, only to have my eyes met by three other unfamiliar pairs. These three boys, well, not really boys anymore I suppose, were all easily as big as Sam. Were they his age, too? To tell the truth, I was very intimidated. Emily broke the awkward silence. "Guys, this is my cousin, Lilija Cadence. She'll be staying with us for a while. Lily, this is Jared, Paul, and Seth." She motioned to them, Jared or Paul seemed to be oldest, while Seth I could tell was easily my age or younger. They all had short hair, somewhat spiky, and dark brown eyes. They were easily very good looking. This only intimidated me more. "Hi" I said, lamely. I quickly sat in the empty seat, while the guys scrutinized me. I dished up some of the sloppy joes and macaroni salad Emily made, and awkwardly started picking at my food. One of the guys, I'm guessing Seth, broke the silent bubble with a question. "So what made you decide to stay here in LaPush?" Sam elbowed him and I could see them exchange troubled glances. "Uh, no, its ok Sam, I was having...trouble back home, so I called Emily, my nearest relative, to kind of get away for a while." Wow, that's probably the most I've said since I got here. Seth nodded understandingly while the other guys mumbled their agreements.

Lunch passed with mainly some small talk. I found out Seth was going into the 10th grade next year, Jared and Paul were graduated, and apparently there were three more guys I have yet to meet. Two were out looking for the third one? I didn't ask anymore about it, I could feel it was a touchy subject. After lunch, I helped Emily clean up and wash dishes. "So how do you like the guys so far?" She asked, diverting my attention from the dish I was intently cleaning. "They seem really nice, better than some of the people back home.." "That's good that you aren't too afraid of them. Its hard to get over their size! But I see them all the time so by now its nothing new to me. Oh, tonight there's going to be a bonfire at the beach, we usually have one every few weeks. Do you want to come?" I thought about it for a while, making my decision. "Sure, I guess it would be a good idea to get to know some more people, right?" "Yeah, and I'm sure the other three guys that weren't at lunch today will be there. Or two, at least." "Um, Emily? Are they as big as the other three?" "Yeah, they are but don't worry, they're all just big goofs."

Emily invited me to watch t.v. with her for a while after the cleaning was done, so I agreed. I had never been more content as we sat there in a comfortable silence, watching the sitcom on t.v. and laughing at their seemingly unimportant problems. I never realized until now how much I had been missing out on. I hadn't realized how long we were sitting there until Emily told me I should go get ready for the bonfire. It was already 5:15!

I decided to wear a plain black t-shirt with a black Gojira zip up hoodie. I paired that with a pair of dark grey-wash boot cut jeans and my tattered converse. Quickly I combed my fingers through my hair and applied a light layer of dark brown eyeliner and some mascara. Making sure I wasn't forgetting anything, I hopped down the stairs, noticing right away my drastic change in my mood. This place was really having an effect on me!

After helping Emily carry out endless amounts of food to the car, I climbed in the front seat, (Sam left for the bonfire early) and chatted lightly with Emily until we got there. I could feel the nerves settling in again. I was never good with crowds of new people, especially. As if she could sense my panic, Emily patted my hand. "It will be fine, you'll see. I'm sure you'll like the other guys, and I know my other friends will love to meet you." I smiled as I reached for the door and helped carry the food to the picnic tables. The beach was stunning. It wasn't like the typical beach you would picture. It had beautiful sandy shores surrounded by the dark green forests and looking out over a picturesque ocean view. It was amazing.

I followed Emily to where some adults were talking, and was introduced to a man in a wheelchair, Billy Black, an older woman named Sue Clearwater, and an older man named Old Quil Ateara. I was introduced to a few other various people, until I was pulled away by Seth. "Hey Lily, you wanna hang out with me and the guys for a while?" "Sure" I grinned. He lead me off to another area of the beach, where I saw the other two guys from lunch, Paul and Jared. There was a girl with Jared I hadn't met before. "Hey Lily, this is Kim, my girlfriend." Jared announced. He sounded really proud. I held out my hand to shake Kim's. "Hi its nice to meet you. You're Emily's cousin, right?" "Yeah, Lilija Cadence. But just call me Lily."

Not long after, two guys came walking up the beach toward us. "Hey guys, did Jacob decide not to show?" Paul asked. "Oh, he's coming eventually. He went home to get some rest." The shorter one answered. "Oh, Lily, this is.." "Quil Ateara" He interrupted Seth. "And this is Embry" Seth motioned to the silent one. I looked up at him. He was very good looking. He was taller than Quil, and a little bit lankier. He still had amazing muscles, though. I looked up at his face and noticed his beautiful dark chocolate eyes and his rugged features. His hair was a little longer than the other guys, and it looked like he was maybe growing it out. I stopped staring when I noticed the look he was giving me. It looked as if he were in shock. Or concentrating really hard. Maybe I was staring too much, I thought, embarassed. I looked away shyly. "This is Emily's cousin, Lily Cadence." Seth's excited voice brought me from my reverie. "Hey, nice to meet you." I said, as Quil shook my hand warmly, and Embry continued to stare.

_ EMBRY'S P.O.V_

_ I followed Quil along the beach to meet the other guys. I noticed a figure there with them that I hadn't seen before. As we got closer, I got a better look at the girl. She was gorgeous. She was shorter than me by probably a foot or more. Her beautiful long hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, but it flowed lightly in the breeze. Her dark eyes seemed to change color in the light, and they seemed to tell you everything about her and yet nothing at the same time. Her skin was lighter colored, but everything about it reminded you of porcelain. Even though she was wearing a hoodie and jeans, everything about her shouted beautiful. You didn't even notice you were staring until she opened her mouth and spoke in a light and gentle voice "Hey, nice to meet you." You remember catching part of the earlier conversation where Seth said her name was Lily. What a pretty name. It really suits her. You finally manage to stop staring. What is happening to me? I've never done anything like that before. You couldn't help it, but all you wanted to do was hold Lily in your arms and tell her everything there is to know about you and listen to everything there is to know about her. What was going on? _

_Then it hit me. I think the impossible has happened. I have imprinted on Lilija Cadence._


	4. Chapter 3: Making Connections

**Lily's P.O.V:**

I stood there awkwardly, feeling Embry's stare on me. I hope I didn't have something on my face or hair, or something. He looked shocked or entranced. I was confused. "Uh, sorry to interrupt your staring contest, Embry, but I think the foods ready." Quil said. Embry looked away embarrassed. "Uh, sorry..Lily." He murmured so low I could hardly hear him. What was with this kid? I just smiled faintly and followed the others back to the fire and food.

I was never a very hungry person, so I just ate a hotdog and some bbq Lays chips. Quil sat down in front of a log by the fire and patted the sand next to him. I sat next to him, a comfortable foot away. Embry sat on the log behind and to the left of me. My eyes bulged as I looked at the contents of Quil and Embry's plates. They each had about four hot dogs, a mountain of chips, a mountain of potato salad, and a few cookies. They can't seriously eat all that, right?? Quil laughed at my expression and patted his flat stomach. "I work out frequently.." He said with a smug look on his face. Embry reached over and smacked the back of his head. Quil returned the smack at Embry, and I was caught between the two giant boys wondering what to do. I snuck out and sat a few feet away, watching closely. Embry stole a hotdog from Quil and ate half of it in one bite, so Quil grabbed a handful of Embry's chips and crushed them to dust into the sand. After a few messy attempts at revenge, they settled down, laughing and then noticed I was no longer seated there. "Ok, ok Lily, were done now, you can come back." I eyed Quil carefully, then Embry, who still looked a little flustered when he looked at me, and decided I'd go back.

We talked for a while, mostly small talk about hobbies and school and such, and I noticed Quil was doing most of the talking, Embry just listening and occasionally saying one or two things. He must be shy around new people or something. After a little while, Sam came over and asked to talk to Embry alone. I wonder what that's all about? I shrugged it off, and continued my debate with Quil on my preference of music. He was a pretty fun guy to talk to once you got past the intimidation factor.

**Embry's P.O.V:**

I was really intrigued listening to what Lily had to say. It was kind of annoying how Quil seemed to be getting all of her attention. He already had a girl. Even though he has a few years to wait for her…. But I guess I can't even find my voice to talk to her. Every time I look at her I forgot what I was going to say. So I just decided to listen in. Then I noticed Sam making his way toward me with an interesting expression on his face.

"Embry, can I talk to you alone for a while?" I stood up and followed him away from the beach, the bonfire, and Lilija. After we were a good two hundred feet from everyone, Sam started talking to me. "I noticed you were looking at Lily strangely today..why is that?" I tried to avoid his gaze, he could be so pushy at times. "I don't know..I just can't help it." He waited for more, and I distracted myself by watching the waves in the distance. After a few long moments, I let out a sigh. "I think I've imprinted on her, Sam. Ok, I know I have. It's just all so weird!" Sam let out a short laugh. "I figured that much. I could tell by the look you've been giving her all afternoon." "Is it that obvious?" Oh great, so does everyone know? "No, but for me it is, because I've seen it already a few times so I know what to look for." "Oh, I see." We continued walking; I knew he had more to say. Sure enough, the comfortable silence was broken once more. "Listen Embry, you can't take this too fast. If you want her to trust you and love you back, you have to get to know her more and wait a while. I guarantee, if you told her everything today or tomorrow, she'd freak out and probably think you're insane. Gain her trust first." I nodded, but this was going to be hard. I don't know how long I could wait. "Lily has had some… problems in her life recently. It's not my story to tell, you'll have to hear it from her first. But she may have trust issues. Just be careful, ok?" Problems? Like what? Suddenly I became very suspicious, making guesses in my head as to what could have happened, and I started to scare myself. Sam noticed. "Embry, calm down, ok? Just don't worry about it right now. Go talk to Lily and try to act normal so she doesn't think you're crazy or something." I nodded. "Thanks Sam. I guess you know what you're talking about, huh?" I turned and began walking back, hearing Sam laughing to himself behind me.

I made it back to the fire and sat on the ground beside Lily. Quil gave me a questioning look which I shook my head at. I saw his expression turn to a smirk. He must have known, too. I decided to start talking. "So, Lily, how do you like it here so far?" She looked confused at first, but then answered. "It's a lot like my old town, with the rain and all, but it's much nicer here. The ocean view is beautiful, too." She was very sincere about it all. "That's good; a lot of people who move here don't like it at all at first." She smiled. "Well, I guess I'm not like a lot of people." We talked more and I found out a lot about her. I noticed Quil looking rather annoyed so he left to talk to the other guys for a while. Ha! Serves him right, he shouldn't be flirting with MY imprint. MY soul-mate! It's just that Lily didn't know that quite yet. I excused myself after a few minutes to get some more food, returning with 5 more hot dogs. I'm not as big as the other guys, and, well, werewolves tend to have extreme metabolisms.

**Lily's P.O.V:**

I was surprised at how fun Embry was. He was really interesting to talk to and that was not what I was expecting after our awkward introduction earlier. I was amazed that he returned to me with five more hot dogs. How does he fit it all in? He burst out laughing at my expression. "You don't want one, do you?" He managed to ask. "No, thank you. I had enough." "Yeah, if you hadn't noticed yet, we guys eat a lot." I giggled. "No shit, Sherlock!" We both laughed and ate, well he ate, and I watched in amazement, and before I knew it, the sun was setting. It wasn't very light out to begin with. Today was one of those rare partially sunny days here in Washington.

I was getting rather cold even through my hoodie. The temperature really drops a lot at night. Embry must have noticed, because he seemed to shift a little and was closer to me, our arms touching. That's nice, I thought. I was really surprised with myself how much I was coming out of my shell. Everything was really easy with Embry. I was totally comfortable with him. I've never been this way with anyone before, except my parents, before the whole accident. I was never a very social person, because back home my father never really let me have a social life. Things really were changing.

I realized that things were getting quiet and it was getting darker. I was hanging in and out of consciousness. Soon I was being shaken awake by someone. I opened my eyes groggily, only to realize that I was leaning my head on Embry's strangely warm shoulder. I shot up quickly, embarrassed. "Lily, Emily and I are going home, you want a ride?" I stretched and yawned, standing up. "Yeah, if I stay much longer I'll only be a party pooper. "See ya later Embry!" I called over my shoulder. "I'll see you at breakfast!" He called back. Oh yeah, I forgot all about that. I actually, for once in my life, was looking forward to something. And to think it was something as causal as breakfast!  
Later on at home, well Sam and Emily's place, I changed into my black and red checkered pajama shorts and black tank top. I crawled under the thick comforter in my room and drifted off, replaying all the nights' events in my head.


	5. Chapter 4: Day at the Beach

I awoke the next morning to sounds of muffled voices and laughter

I awoke the next morning to sounds of muffled voices and laughter. I sat up quickly, wondering who could possibly be here? Then I mentally slapped myself. I forgot about the guys eating breakfast here. I immediately got up, excited to see my new friends, but mostly Embry. I pulled a brush through my knotted hair and pulled it into a messy bun at the back of my neck. I kept my pajamas on; it was only eight 'o clock. I pulled on a pair of black fuzzy socks and walked downstairs.

The guys all greeted me happily which I returned, and I noticed one more guy in the group that I didn't recognize. "Lily, this is Jacob Black. Jake, this is my cousin Lily. She's staying here for a little while." Emily saved me from the awkward silence. I smiled shyly at him and gave a small wave, which he returned with a "Hey". He seemed very reserved, and a lot more serious than the other guys. He was bigger than the others, except for Sam. He looked like he had recently been through a lot of stress; he had dark circles under his eyes.

I looked around for an empty seat, and noticed one by Embry. I happily sat down, and he immediately looked more cheerful once I had done so. The conversation at the table was kept light, and I noticed that Jacob didn't really say much, and mostly avoided eye contact with anyone. A few times, Embry and I would start talking about something, and we'd become engrossed in our own conversation. When this happened, I noticed the others exchanging sly smiles and glances. Silly guys.

After the delicious breakfast of a mountainous pile of scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, pancakes, and toast, (most of which I didn't eat, it's a bit too much for me) I helped Emily clean up. Jeez, her grocery bill must be horribly expensive. I made a mental note to help her pay for it next time she goes grocery shopping.

The guys all went off somewhere which I didn't know, but Embry stayed behind. When I came out of the kitchen, I ran into him and jumped. I wasn't expecting him to be standing there. "Hey, do you wanna come with me to the beach for a while?" I wasn't expecting this, but I was eager to hang out with him. "Yeah, that'd be great! Just let me get changed first.." His face brightened at my answer and he seated himself in the little living room. I bounded upstairs, glad that there was now an activity to fill in the void in my morning. I left my hair the way it was and pulled on a pair of faded black blue jeans, a long sleeved green and black striped shirt, and my lucky high top converse. I applied a little bit of eyeliner and mascara afterwards, not really caring too much about my make up since we were just going to the beach.

As we made our way outside, I wondered how we were going to get to the beach. I saw no unfamiliar cars parked in the drive, and it was a kind of long walk. Then I noticed Embry wheeling an older looking but very nice motorcycle over to me. I didn't know hardly anything about motorcycles, but this one looked fast. I gulped. Never in my life had I even thought about riding on one of these things! Embry must have noticed my expression, because he then reassured me. "I won't let anything happen to you Lily. I'm a good driver! Here, you can wear my helmet, since I don't have any extras." I smiled. "Uh, fine! I guess I have always wanted to ride on one of these..." I grabbed the helmet from him and pulled it on my head. He climbed on the bike first, and I got on after. "Hold on!" He said, and I wrapped my arms around his waist. I felt awkward at first, but really, how else am I supposed to hang on?

The ride was amazing. It was so much fun and it really gets your adrenaline rushing. I was nervous for the first few minutes, but I realized he really did know what he was doing. So I threw caution to the wind, literally, and enjoyed myself thoroughly. It took us about fifteen minutes to get to the beach; Embry chose to take me through the scenic parts of the small town. We parked by the edge of the forest, and Embry helped me off, pulling my helmet off as well. "Aah! Helmet hair!" I said, and he laughed. "Nah, it doesn't look bad at all. I think you can pull off wearing a helmet." He replied.

We walked down the beach and sat on an old driftwood log. We mostly enjoyed each others company. We also talked about interests like music, hobbies, favorite foods, etc. and we learned a lot about each other. We had a lot more in common than I thought, including taste in music.

Then I let curiosity get the best of me, which isn't always good. "So, what's with Jacob? I know I just met him and all, but he seems upset about something." Embry looked distant and uncomfortable. I supposed it was something nobody wanted to talk about. "Well, he just had some…girl problems recently. It's not really my story to tell..." He trailed off. "Oh, I understand. It was stupid of me to ask. I just thought maybe…well, I don't really know what I was thinking."

After that awkward conversation, we walked along the beach in the ankle deep tide. I was looking out at the ocean and didn't realize where I was going when I suddenly tripped on a rather large rock in the sand. Embry helped me up, and I saw the blood dripping down my leg through my pant leg. I had a gash in my shin and a ripped pant leg from a stupid twig sticking out of the sand. "Ouch, crap…stupid dumb worthless stick!!" I muttered, much to Embry's amusement. "Here, we should do something about that." He led me back to the log where he proceeded to rip a small strip off the edge of his shirt and tie around my calf. I winced at first but got used to the pain. I had put up with much worse at my old house, after all.

He drove me back to the house and helped me inside. The cut was kind of starting to sting. Emily walked in the kitchen and immediately noticed my leg. "What happened Lily?" She looked concerned. "Oh, nothing I just tripped on a rock. Another clumsy moment." I mumbled. "Oh. We have bandages up above the refrigerator if you need them. I'll be upstairs." I was about to get them when Embry quickly picked me up and set me on the counter. He got the supplies from the cupboard and started working on my leg. "I can do this myself, you know.." I protested. "No, I should have been watching where you were going. I'll fix it." I rolled my eyes. "You don't need to watch where I'm going, that's MY job." He just chuckled and continued cleaning my wound.

I had forgotten about the bruises on my legs from my beatings at home. They were mostly gone, but still noticeable. "What are all these?" Embry asked, the concern clear in his voice as his dark eyes scanned the exposed skin on my leg. "Oh, um, nothing. Just more of my clumsy moments." I hoped he bought that. It didn't seem very convincing to me. "Hmm. Walk much?" He joked. I slapped his arm. "That's surely no way to treat your savior!" He retorted. "Savior? I tripped! I could have cleaned this myself!" I snorted. "Well, if that's how you're going to thank me.." He fake pouted. "Aww, ok, I'm sorry. And thank you very much. If it weren't for you I could have bled to death. It probably would have taken a while, but you get the point." "That's better." He grinned and helped me off the counter. I stumbled forward into him, and our eyes met. His seemed full of questions, and mine probably were, too. He leaned down slightly and I reached up on my toes. Our lips were about to meet when the front door slammed open.

Damn the interruption!


	6. Chapter 5: The Truth

Sam walked through the door and into the kitchen where Embry and I had quickly separated. He seemed rather upset about something. "Sam, what happened?" Embry asked curiously. "Jake ran off." He replied numbly. "Again? I'm sure he'll come back. He was only gone a few days last time." Embry tried to reassure him. "No, no, I think this time will be longer. That boy is impossible sometimes." He sighed. He then seemed to notice I was in the room, standing behind Embry who towered over me, and the subject was dropped. "Oh, hi Lily. What happened to your leg?" He gestured towards my bandaged right shin. I blushed, embarrassed. "I tripped. On a rock." I hoped he would notice the underlying tone in my voice and drop the subject. "Oh, well, be careful next time, then." I nodded. Sam left the room, I'm sure to find Emily and further discuss the situation with Jacob.

Embry turned to me then and grabbed my arm, dragging me out the door. "Uh, Embry? Where are we going?" He dropped my arm and turned to me. "I'm hungry, do you want to get some lunch?" My stomach growled on cue. "Yeah that would be great. Just let me tell Emily where I'm going." I ran inside and told Emily, which she approved of. I hurried off to my room to change pants since mine had some blood on them and a tear. I grabbed my little black purse and I hopped out the door.

Embry was seated on his motorcycle and he patted the seat behind him. I swung my leg over the seat and held on tight. The ride was longer than the one to the beach, since we were going to Forks for lunch. We stopped at a nice little diner that sat on an old street corner. Once we were inside, he led me to a booth near the back. I slid into the booth across from him, and almost immediately a waitress appeared to take our drink orders.

She was a taller girl, probably a year older than me, with bleached blonde hair and a very dark fake tan. She didn't fit into the atmosphere of this city at all. I rolled my eyes as she pretty much turned all her attention on Embry. "Hey there, my name is Anna and I'll be your waitress today. What can I get you?" I could definitely hear the double edge to her last question. I rolled my eyes. Embry didn't seem affected by her overly friendly personality at all. I smirked at that. "Yeah I'll have a large Root Beer, please." He said in a bored tone. "Oh, certainly!" Her voice held way too much enthusiasm. "I think my friend here is thirsty too..." Embry indicated to me. I smiled weakly as the waitress slowly turned around, the loathing clear in her glare. "I'll just have an ice water, please." I said politely. "Mhmm." Was her response. She turned her attention back to Embry again. "Here's your menus, I'll be back shortly to take your order!" She danced back to the kitchen, probably to show off, and I really hoped she would fall. Of course, that only happens to me.

"So do you often get unwanted attention like this?" I asked innocently. He snorted. "Sometimes. I don't find it attractive in the least, though." I smiled at that. "So, what are you ordering?" He asked. "Oh, I was thinking the chicken blt sounds good." It really did, I hadn't had a good chicken sandwich in a long time. "Hmm. I think I'll get a double bacon cheeseburger." I laughed. I knew that wouldn't be enough. "I'll eat more later. I'd really rather order as little as possible from that girl." He smiled, and I laughed again, trying to disguise it as a cough so as not to attract others attention.

Back in record time was Anna. Oh joy. She took our orders, well, Embry's, and then mine with much reluctance, and headed back to the kitchen. It seemed like it took forever for her to leave. Embry and I talked for a while about small things like the other guys and hobbies again. I learned that they often go cliff diving, which really scared me at first. I had never been a good swimmer though, so I didn't think I'd join them with that any time soon. Our food came shortly, and luckily it was a different waitress who gave us our food. I'd had enough of that Anna chick. We ate in silence for a while, me actually enjoying the taste of my sandwich while Embry vacuumed his up rather quickly.

I heard my phone vibrate in my purse and dropped my sandwich, wondering who it could possibly be. I opened my phone to find a text from the last person I wanted to hear from. My father.

It read:

_I know where you are. You can't hide. I'm coming to get you and there is nothing you can do. You don't run away without being punished._

Oh crap. My stomach lurched and I felt suddenly very ill. My face must have turned green because suddenly Embry was beside me in the booth. "Lily, what's wrong? Are you ok?" I felt now was the time to talk. Embry needed to know about my past, but not here. I asked him if we could go home, and he agreed, paying the bill quickly and leading me out of the restaurant. "You'll be able to make it home without getting sick, wont you?" He asked. I nodded and he helped me on the bike. The ride home was a blur. The only thing on my mind was when my father was going to get here and what he was going to do with me when he took me back home.

We arrived back at the house and he followed me into my room. He sat on the edge of my bed and I sat next to him. "Embry, I need to tell you something. The real reason why I came here." He nodded intently, watching me close. "A few years ago, my mother died in a car accident. My father and I made it out alive." I proceeded to tell him the events that took place after that tragic day, and up to the day that I ran away. He looked extremely shocked, and pale. "Lily, we really need to tell someone. The police or something. Why didn't you do that before?" He was really concerned. "I was scared, ok? I didn't want to end up on trial and maybe have my dad not proven guilty and then get beaten harder afterwards for telling. I also didn't want to end up in a foster home. I guess I just thought it would blow over after a while, but I was dead wrong." Embry suddenly pulled my hand from my lap and held it tightly in his. I felt my tears welling up, threatening to spill over. They did. Embry tilted my chin back with his other hand and wiped my tears away. "Hey, what's wrong? You're ok now, I'm not going to let him hurt you anymore." He leaned in gently and kissed my tear stained cheek. "Embry, my dad texted me at the restaurant. He said he was coming to get me, that there's nothing I can do about it." He frowned deeply and seemed to start shaking. Was he really that angry? He took a few deep breaths and seemed to calm down. I showed him the text and he sighed and said, "Well, I guess that means I'm going to stay with you for a while now. I won't let him hurt you anymore, I swear Lily."

He leaned down and pressed his warm lips very gently against mine, and for a second all my concerns disappeared. He moved his lips in sync with mine, and everything in the world seemed to be put into place for me. I felt absolutely amazing. I felt right for once in my life. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me on his lap, breaking the kiss. I laid my head against his chest as he kissed the top of my head. I relaxed as I listened to his heartbeat, in sync with my own, and we sat like that for what seemed like hours. I didn't really want to move, and Embry didn't seem to want to move, either.


End file.
